Rustem Khamitov

Rustem Zakievich Khamitov (18 August 1954-) was the head of Bashkortostan from 19 July 2010, succeeding Murtaza Rakhimov.

Biography
Rustem Khamitov was born on 18 August 1954 in Drachenino, Kemerovo Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union to a family of Sunni Muslim Bashkirs. He spoke Bashkir, Russian, and English perfectly. From 1973 to 1980 he worked at the Bashkir Agrarian Institute as a dean of agricultural mechanization, and from 1993 to 1994 he was Director of the Institute of Applied Ecology. Khamitov was elected as the head of Bashkortostan on 19 July 2010 to succeed Murtaza Rakhimov, and he was a member of the United Russia party.